PALESTINE POLICE BRITISH GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1945-48 1735 CONSTABLE BELL

Offered is a General Service medal (1918-1962, 3rd issue King George VI) with clasp PALESTINE 1945-48. Impressed named: 1735 B.CONST. W.A.BELL. PAL. POLICE. Comes with copy photograph of Constable Bell, medal roll & passenger manifest 1948.

William Andrew Bell. Born 1928.

Palestine Police. Number 1735 British Constable.

Place of permanent residence: Dunadry Village, Dunadry County, Antrim Northern Ireland.

Served Palestine Police 24/2/1947 -. Returned to Ireland May 1948 on M.V Georgic. Age listed as 20 & occupation Palestine Police.

The Palestine Police Force was a British colonial police service established in Palestine on 1 July 1920, when High Commissioner Herbert Samuel's civil administration took over responsibility for security from General Allenby's Occupied Enemy Territory Administration.

By the time of the 1947 UN Partition Plan the British members of the Force alone numbered 4,000.

The British mandate over Palestine was due to expire on 15 May 1948, but Jewish Leadership led by future Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared independence on 14 May. Members of the Palestine Police Force withdrew with the remainder of the British Forces in Palestine. However, the influence of the Palestine Police reached its peak after the force was disbanded on 15 May as around 1,400 policeman obtained postings elsewhere. In particular, a Special Constabulary of 500 former Palestine Police was established in Malaya after the state of emergency was declared in June 1948. Officers who served in Malaya also transferred to colonial police forces in Kenya, Hong Kong and Tanganyika.